The Criminal Court on Friday acquitted Monta "Ying Kai" Yokrattanakan of one of the human trafficking charges against her, in which she was alleged to have exploited a minor -- a girl who served as her maid six years ago.
The girl, whose name was withheld, decided to accompany Monta from her home province of Mae Hong Son to Bangkok in 2008 after the woman, who claimed she liked helping poor people, promised to give her work and support her studies.
Monta was later accused of deceiving and mistreating the 16-year-old.
The court yesterday found there was no evidence that Monta had forced the girl to work from 5am to 10pm, paid no wages and illegally detained her, as charged.
The girl and other maids were allowed to leave the house and meet relatives, and there was no clear evidence of forced employment, the ruling said.
Both the girl and her parents had been aware of her trip to the capital from the beginning.
The girl had worked with Monta until late 2010, when she ran away.
Prosecutors accused Monta of threatening to file a complaint of theft against the girl if she did not return. The court also found this accusation had no grounds.
Although Monta paid the girl only 1,000 to 3,000 baht a month, which was below the minimum rate set by labour laws, the court could not issue a compensation order due to the not guilty verdict.
The girl and other maids also testified that they had never been physically assaulted by Monta.
Filing of false theft charges and mistreatment are among the accusations made by Monta's former maids, which led prosecutors to charge her with several counts of human trafficking.
On Oct 19, the Criminal Court sentenced Monta to three years in prison for a human trade-related case and ordered her to pay 590,007 baht compensation to a female victim forced to work as her maid.
Her initial four-year jail term was commuted to three because she cooperated with authorities.
Previously, on June 6, the court sentenced Monta to seven years in prison, reduced from an initial 15, after she confessed to violating Section 112, the lese majeste law.
Monta falsely claimed she was a khunying, a title bestowed only by His Majesty, and used it for her own gain, an action that reflected badly on the monarchy.
